Rosemary's Baby
by iammemyself
Summary: Sort of a Sonic the Hedgehog adaptation of the horror story 'Rosemary's Baby'.
1. Chapter 1

Please note: I don't know anything about this book and I haven't seen the movie, so if you have please bear with me in this adaptation. I'm just going to follow the plot as best I can. And I would rather do so knowing nothing about the book so that I don't follow it too closely. If I remember I will include quotations.

ROSEMARY'S BABY

Chapter One

"Why are we doing this again?"

Amadeus looked at Rosemary and said, "I think we've discussed this in enough detail already."

"Well...I was fine with where we were..."

"Rosemary, we both looked at the apartment. We both liked it. Why do you keep asking me why we're moving into it?"

"...I don't know..."

Amadeus pulled the car up in front of the building and gazed up at its strange Gothic facade. It was kind of odd to put this sort of building in the middle of Station Square like this, but it was cheaper than anything else they had looked at without being far from the city, and it would do for now.

"My dear, stop worrying. We've committed to it and that's that. We're not going to get into any trouble just because the building is kind of old-fashioned."

"I get enough trouble from 'old-fashioned', thanks," said Rosemary, and she got out of the car. Puzzled, Amadeus got out of the car and went to stand with her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're old-fashioned. Look at all the trouble I get into with you."

Amadeus was still confused. "Trouble? I haven't even seen you in 6 months, how did I get you into trouble?"

Rosemary sighed. The trouble with Amadeus being old-fashioned was that he often didn't get nuances. It was hard to talk sarcastically around him because he simply didn't understand.

"Never mind. Let's just start moving these boxes."

"You go upstairs if you like, Rosemary. I think I can handle it."

Normally she wouldn't have taken him up on it, but she was tired and kind of irritated with her husband. So she went into the building and took the elevator upstairs.

The apartment was a sparse room done in darker colours, and Rosemary found it oppressive. She wandered around it, trying to let in as much light as possible. It wasn't like their old home, the country one where the sunlight fell through the windows in streaming ribbons of bright rainbow colours, but with Amadeus on indefinite leave for his accident there really was no way of knowing where the money was coming from. Their savings weren't too bad but Amadeus was a stickler for planning far, far ahead. Another old-fashioned thing he did. Rosemary wouldn't have minded hanging on for a while if she'd had to, but Amadeus said he wanted to make sure she was taken care of in the event that he couldn't find work. Which she appreciated and understood, and went along with.

But she didn't like it.

She went and sat on the floor in the bedroom, trying to think of a way to brighten it up. There was no way she was going to live in a dark bedroom. It was pretty hard to paint over those sorts of colours though.

After a while Amadeus came back upstairs with a good number of the boxes, all meticulously labelled by him of course, and Rosemary helped him sort them out.

"When are they bringing the furniture?" she asked him as they stacked the kitchen boxes in that general vicinity.

"Mm...sometime this evening, I believe," said Amadeus, straightening the pile and leaving to get the rest of the boxes. As soon as he turned around Rosemary adjusted the box so that it was no longer flush with the box below it. When Amadeus came back he stared at it.

"I thought I..."

He readjusted it and brought some of the boxes into the bedroom. Again Rosemary moved the box and slipped into the other room. She stood and looked out the window. If she squinted she could pretend she was back in the forest.

"Rosemary?"

"Yes?"

"Am I going senile, dear?"

Rosemary tried not to laugh but was not entirely successful. "Why would you say that?"

"I think this box is moving."

"Well...they don't normally do that..."

"I'll be damned, then. What's in it?"

"Plates?"

"Plates don't move," said Amadeus. He was sounding more and more perplexed with every minute that went by.

Rosemary's smile faded as she went back to looking out the window. It made her think of home far too much.

All of a sudden there was a tickling feeling around her waist and Amadeus was lifting her off the floor. She cried out and started laughing, fighting to get back to the floor in mock panic. Amadeus locked his arms around her waist.

"Nice try, Rosemary," he whispered into her ear, making it tingle with the proximity of his voice, "but don't usher me into insanity just yet."

"Mm," said Rosemary, looking up at him as best she could from her awkward, bent-over position, "I don't need to do that...it happened a long time ago..."

They started mock-fighting again, both of them laughing and falling to the floor when Amadeus lost his balance. Rosemary felt a lot of the tension she had been feeling melt away. Amadeus was good for that. He was very sensitive to how she was feeling.

They both sat there breathless on the floor for a few moments, just looking at each other and trying to gauge their feelings. It wasn't easy to hold a relationship together when they were always apart, and occasionally Rosemary wondered why she went on with it at all, Amadeus seemed such a stranger to her sometimes, but then he would do one of those things that only he could do and she would hold on until the next time they were together for a while. In fact their relationship had been a little strained since Amadeus had come back, because every time he came back he was like a different person. He was colder. More impersonal. Rosemary understood that was how you had to be in the army, but when you were supposed to be sleeping next to this person and kissing them goodnight, this cold creature who had to numb himself so that he could kill without thinking about it, it was difficult.

But Amadeus never did her wrong. Tested her resolve sometimes. Tested her faith. But he always lived up to his name. Always did everything he said he would do.

While they were sitting their catching their breath Rosemary thought about these things and decided that she didn't want the Amadeus of last night sleeping beside her when darkness fell. So she took his face in her hands and kissed him. At first he did not respond, and she was afraid she had gone too far too fast. He needed time to adjust, after all, and for a second her insides froze at the thought of him rejecting her. But her fears were unfounded, as after a few moments had passed he seemed to relax a little more, took her in his arms and kissed her back. The feeling she got was one she had been waiting for all the time he had been away, and she didn't want to let it go.

Then of course the buzzer rang and they had to break it off.

"Damn," said Amadeus. "I guess we'll have to do some work now."

"We can play later," said Rosemary, and she ran a finger down his back.

"I doubt it," said Amadeus. "We're going to be moving furniture for the rest of the evening. We're going to be dead tired by the time later comes."

He went to the door and opened it, and started talking with the lynx who had brought up the first of the furniture.

Rosemary was just short of grinding her teeth. Sometimes...sometimes...sometimes Amadeus was so infuriating...

After a minute she calmed down and went to join him. He was right, as usual. She was short of exhausted right now, she didn't want to think about later.

Amadeus told her she wasn't needed for moving the furniture, and although his chivalrous nature did set her off sometimes, she wasn't too keen on moving it and gratefully slipped out into the hallway. Again she found herself drawn to a window, this one at the end of the hall overlooking the city.

"Well hello my dear!"

Rosemary jumped and turned around. Behind her were two elderly hedgehogs, clearly an old married couple, and the female was holding an aluminum pan covered with Saran wrap.

"Hi," she said.

"I'm Bernadette," said the female, "and this is my husband, Jules."

"We're your neighbours," said Jules. "We want to welcome you to the apartment."

They were standing a bit too close for comfort but Rosemary couldn't back up any farther. She put a hand on the windowsill behind her.

"Well...thank you," she said.

"I made you some lasagna," said Bernadette. "You're not going to feel like cooking after the long day you've had. You can just reheat it in the microwave. Or the stove. Is your stove set up yet?"

"No, but-"

"Well if you need to you can come use our stove," continued Bernadette as if Rosemary hadn't spoken. "In fact, you can just pop into our apartment anytime you like. We enjoy having visitors."

Something about the way she said it made Rosemary's fur prick uncomfortably.

"Thank you," she said, not knowing what else to say.

"Here, darling," said Bernadette, and she handed Rosemary the pan. It was still warm. Rosemary thanked her again and then politely excused herself. She took it back to her apartment and placed it on the counter. Then she went to stand outside the doorway so she wouldn't get in the way of the furniture being moved.

After only a couple of minutes, though, she felt a funny feeling creep over her and looked up.

Jules and Bernadette were staring at her.

She looked away quickly, not wanting to speak to them. When she looked back up to see if they were still watching her, Bernadette waved and Jules smiled in a kindly gentleman sort of way. She shifted uncomfortably and tried not to look at them again. But after another moment she looked up and they were gone.

She shivered.

She hoped she wouldn't need to speak to them too often.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

After a couple of hours Amadeus, the lynx, and a couple of young (and admittedly good-looking) cats had moved all of the furniture into the apartment and she went inside. She carefully locked and chained the door and then looked at all the work they had left to do.

"Thank God you sorted it into piles like that," she said. "If it had been the way I would have done it I think I'd be going crazy right now..."

"Oh," said Amadeus. He was in the middle of setting up the stove. "I thought it was bothersome for you."

"It was...," she hedged, then went over to the counter.

"What is that, anyway? I don't recall bringing it," said Amadeus, pushing the stove against the wall.

"Oh, the neighbours gave it to me," she said. "So we don't have to cook tonight."

"That was kind of them," said Amadeus. "I, for one, don't feel like cooking."

Rosemary didn't either so while Amadeus unpacked the kitchen boxes she put the lasagna in the oven and watched him as he worked. Rosemary knew she hadn't done a whole lot that day, and she had no reason to be so tired and irritated, but she couldn't help feeling that way all the same. Even though he had been working very hard all day, first helping her pack up the last of the boxes and then unloading all of them and also moving the furniture, he was still working with the same methodical efficiency as he had when the day had started. He showed no signs of irritation or frustration and in fact seemed quite content to put things away while she sat at the table and wished she were in bed.

After about 10 minutes she decided it was ready and told him so, and he set the table quickly while she cut up the dish. Amadeus was of course ravenous, but Rosemary was not altogether that hungry, so mostly she just watched him a while longer. It amazed her how content she was just to watch him. Maybe it was because he wasn't around very often. Maybe it was because his behaviour was just so unique. At any rate she found enjoyment in just watching him sleep. And if he found this strange he didn't comment on it.

There were only a few dishes and Rosemary was happy enough to leave them until morning, but Amadeus looked at them like they were going to haunt him if he didn't do them.

"Oh Amadeus," she told him, "it can wait. You need to go and wash up, you're all dusty. Then you need to get some sleep."

"But…it's going to get crusted on…"

"I'll do it. You get going."

"All right," said Amadeus, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. Rosemary quickly cleaned up the dishes, more because she wanted to get them put away in case Amadeus came back and noticed she wasn't using dish soap than anything, and turned off the lights and went into the bedroom.

Amadeus of course had already finished his shower, demonstrating his usual military efficiency, and sent her off to have one herself. He said he was going to take a bit of a walk and would be back in 20 minutes. Rosemary didn't worry about where he was going because she knew he would be back in EXACTLY 20 minutes, probably down to the very second, and took her time. She felt strangely dirty for some reason, even though she hadn't really done any work. Oh well.

When she got out of the shower she was surprised to see that Amadeus had not yet returned. This was so unusual for him that she actually became frightened, and quickly putting on the dress she'd been wearing instead of her nightclothes, exited the apartment and looked for him up and down the hall.

She had only taken a few steps before she realized where he had gone.

He was talking to Jules and Bernadette.

Reluctantly she went to join him. She didn't want to go near them but didn't really want to sit in a strange apartment by herself.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, my dear," said Amadeus. "I completely lost track of time."

"You had me worried," said Rosemary. Her tone was a little harsher than she intended, and when Amadeus looked at her he looked so apologetic she regretted speaking.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I shan't do it again."

"No, it's alright," she said. But he shook his head firmly.

"I said I would return in 20 minutes, and that time has passed. I bid you farewell," he said to Jules and Bernadette, who were both sitting in the living area watching television.

"Come by anytime," said Jules genially. "We enjoy having visitors."

"I shall," said Amadeus. "Thank you for your kindness."

Now was one of those times Rosemary wished her husband was not quite so polite.

"What were you talking about, anyway?"

"Oh, this and that. Things about the apartment, really. Apparently our apartments used to be joined. Ours was the back of theirs at one point. I guess the living room wall is the partition."

Rosemary was silent as she put on her nightdress and climbed into bed. She felt a bit strange. She couldn't pinpoint the feeling.

Amadeus got into bed and as his comforting weight settled beside her she started to feel a bit silly. There was nothing to be afraid of. She was safe. Amadeus would protect her from anything.

Still, as she turned over to put her body against his already sleeping form, she could do nothing to stop the cold chill from running down her back.

She was sure the hedgehogs had been staring at her again.

She was sure of it.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

*I know Amy was not alive and certainly not a teenager at the time of Amadeus and Rosemary, but I want to keep this familiar to everyone so I'm taking a bit of liberty with the timeline.

"Where did all this laundry come from?"

"That's what she said."

Rosemary jumped and turned around. It was a couple of days later, and Amadeus had left to see if he would be able to obtain some sort of work in the reserves, so Rosemary had decided to go down and do the laundry while he was gone. She had thought she was alone.

There was a young girl standing there. She was wearing a long-sleeved sweater even though it was not quite cool enough for one, tall red boots, and a strange-looking pendant. "Hello," said Rosemary. "I...I was talking to myself."

"Hey, we all do it," said the girl. "You've just moved in beside Bernie and Jules, haven't you?"

"Yes..." said Rosemary, having been able to go a few days without having to think of her strange neighbours.

"I'm Amy," said the girl, holding out a hand. "I live with them."

"I've never seen you before," said Rosemary, taking her hand and looking at the girl closely.

"I haven't been around lately," she said. "I'm trying to get a job, you see. I'm out all day."

"Are you their daughter, then?" said Rosemary, thinking that it was a bit odd that this girl was not strange like Jules and Bernadette.

"No," said Amy. "They took me in off the street."

"I'm sorry?"

"I used to live on the street," said Amy matter-of-factly. "I used to be a huge druggie. Look," she said, and she pulled up her left sleeve. Rosemary was horrified to see tracks lacing the girl's arm, evidence of heavy drug abuse.

"I...I'm sorry," said Rosemary, at a loss for words.

"It's okay," said Amy, pulling her sleeve back down and going back to folding pants. "It's history now. Jules and Bernie saved me from a pretty shitty existence. I was on the fast track to nowhere, but they literally saved my life by taking me in."

"That's very sweet," said Rosemary, although privately she would have preferred to stay on the street than move in with those people. She felt her eye drawn to the pendant around Amy's neck. "Where did you get that? Did they give it to you?"

"Oh yes," said Amy, fingering it. Then she took it off and handed it to Rosemary. "Here, take a look."

It was a silver ball on a silver chain. And there was a strange smell coming from it. Rosemary had never even heard of a scented pendant before, so she asked Amy about it.

"It's from some sort of root," said Amy, taking the pendant back and putting it around her neck. "Bernie gave it to me. It's kind of neat. Anyway I don't take it off. It's my reminder that someone out there cares about me."

"They've been that good to you?"

"They took me off the street!" Amy laughed, putting the pants into a basket and putting it against her hip. "If that's not being good to me, I don't know what is! See you later, uh..."

"Rosemary," said Rosemary, feeling a bit silly for talking to Amy all this time and not telling the girl her name.

"Bye Rosemary!" said Amy, and she headed off.

Rosemary went back to doing her laundry, which really amounted to staring at the washing machine, and wondered how such creepy people could be seen as so generous.

A few days later Rosemary and Amadeus were coming back from their old house, just having to do a couple of things to finalize the sale, but when they arrived there was a patrol of police cars all flashing lights and a large crowd of people gathered around them. Rosemary strained to see what was going on but she wasn't quite tall enough.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I haven't any idea," said Amadeus. "Stay here, I'll go ask one of those gentlemen."

Rosemary, however, was unable to stop herself from being moved in the crush of the crowd, and was forced closer and closer to the police tape. When she saw what the problem was her heart stopped.

It was Amy.

Her broken body lay spread-eagled on the cold pavement in a pool of dark blood. Strangely, Rosemary's eye was drawn to the pendant. It was lying on the ground some distance away from the girl. The chain must have broken.

"Rosemary?"

She turned around to see Amadeus coming through the crowd towards her. "I'm sorry," she said. "The crowd-"

"It's quite all right," he said, frowning when he saw Amy's body. "Though I'd have rathered you didn't see that."

"Well...Amadeus, I was just talking to her."

"What, now?"

"No, a few days ago. She lives...lived with Bernie and Jules."

"She's their daughter?"

"No, they took her in." Quickly Rosemary told Amadeus what Amy had said to her in the laundry room. He nodded slowly and said, "They're going to be devastated."

Rosemary looked up into the darkening sky, trying to gauge where the girl had fallen from. Picking out an open window with light streaming from it, she counted up and across, and with a start realized that Amy had jumped from Jules and Bernie's apartment.

Or maybe she had been pushed.

Oh, don't be silly, Rosemary told herself. The two hedgehogs might make her uneasy, but Amy had obviously thought the world of them.

"Oh my God," said a voice behind them, and Amadeus gently nudged Rosemary to the side. When she looked around to see why, she saw that Jules and Bernie had arrived. Bernie looked like she wanted to jump out of a window herself.

"I just...I don't understand," said Bernie tearfully. "She didn't seem unhappy...I thought she liked living with us..."

"Some things strangers just can't give a young girl, Bernie," said Jules, but it was obvious he was very shaken up over it as well.

"No, no, that had nothing to do with it," said Rosemary, and right away she realized how that sounded. Kind of like maybe she'd had something to do with Amy's death. "She thought you were wonderful. She thought the world of you."

"Oh, really?" said Bernie, sniffing into a handkerchief. "Are you quite sure, Rosemary?"

"Oh yes," said Rosemary, her maternal nature regrettably kicking in. "I spoke to her just the other day. She was very happy with you. She said you saved her life."

"For a while, at least," said Jules, and Bernie turned to him to hide her face. No matter how much Rosemary disliked these people, she hated to see people in pain, so she tried to comfort them as best she could. Dimly she was aware of Amadeus, not really part of the whole thing as he had not known Amy at all, but always standing by her in case she needed him.

Later that night Rosemary and Amadeus finally made their way up to their apartment, having giving their consolation to Bernie and Jules, and when they got into bed neither of them spoke. They were both tired and emotionally drained by the whole thing. Seeing a death was not easy, even if you only were witness to the aftermath. Rosemary hoped Amadeus would not close off because of it. That really would ruin her night.

After a few minutes however Amadeus turned over and drew her into his arms. "I'm sorry you had to see that," he murmured.

"It wasn't your fault," said Rosemary.

"I wasn't suggesting that it was," said Amadeus, taking her words too literally as usual. "But I never wished for you to see such a thing."

"I'm alright, thanks," said Rosemary, and he did not speak again, but as soon as she detected that his breathing was heavy with sleep she became afraid.

Maybe Jules and Bernie did push Amy. They did come down to the scene afterwards, after all. And every time she walked by they were in their apartment, door wide open, but oddly enough the accident seemed to be a surprise to them...

She shivered and moved in as close to Amadeus as possible. As long as he was with her, it would be all right. She'd like to see the old hedgehogs get to her through him.

Only right before she drifted off did she realize she was being paranoid and a bit ridiculous. They weren't out to get her. They were harmless. They were old. They weren't staring at her all the time, she was just imagining it.

She hoped.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

A couple of days later Rosemary and Amadeus were watching a movie on television when there was a knock on the door. Rosemary ignored it but Amadeus was unable to, and so got up and answered it. Rosemary did not pay attention until she heard the voices and realized who they came from.

Jules and Bernie.

Amadeus came back looking a bit reluctant. "They've invited us over for supper."

"And you said no, right?"

"Of course not. That wouldn't be polite."

"Damn it, Amadeus!" said Rosemary, sitting up straight and clenching her fists. "Why do you have to be so damn polite all the time!"

"I'm sorry," said Amadeus. "I honestly was going to say no, but I couldn't think of a good reason to refuse."

Rosemary got up angrily and went into the bedroom. "You know I don't like those people, Amadeus. You know they make me uncomfortable. Why did you have to say yes?"

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't even go near me right now. I don't want to talk to you. For once you couldn't have been rude?"

"Rosemary-"

Rosemary went into the bedroom and closed the door. She sat in the window box and stared out of the window, folded her arms, and put her head down. Damn Amadeus. Damn Jules and damn Bernie. Damn everything that led up to this. Rosemary had no idea why she was so averse to the two hedgehogs, but she just could not submit herself to the idea that they actually were good people. After a few minutes though she felt bad for being so angry with her husband. She knew his nature and that was part of why she had married him. And she knew that this part of his affect would not allow him to go and drag out of her why she was upset, like parents did when children went and closed themselves in their rooms, so she got up and opened the door.

He was sitting on the couch again, on the edge, and he had folded his hands together and brought them to his face. He looked very uncomfortable and was obviously trying to think of some way to fix the problem but was coming up short.

"Amadeus?"

"Mm," he said, not changing positions.

"Don't be upset, alright? I'm sorry for being so angry...I know you can't help it."

He rubbed his hands over his face once, slowly, and then looked at her. "I suppose I should be able to by now."

"No...honey, I don't want that. I just...I don't like those people, that's all."

"I know."

"Maybe I just need to be more open," said Rosemary. "We'll go to supper and I'll try to take my cue from you."

"I'm sorry?" said Amadeus, frowning.

"I'll be polite," said Rosemary, and he smiled and got up.

"You silly woman," he said, and he pulled her close and kissed her. Instantly Rosemary felt better.

"Besides," said Rosemary, "we wouldn't be where we are today if you weren't so damn polite."

"Mm," said Amadeus. "That's true."

After a minute Rosemary let go and went back into the bedroom to change. She wasn't horrendously dressed or anything but it wasn't really a 'go out to dinner' sort of outfit.

When she was ready Amadeus took her hand and brought her next door. She didn't want to let his hand go but she had to because Bernie and Jules had set their places on the opposite sides of the table.

"So how are you holding up?" said Amadeus after they had all helped themselves to meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

"Oh, all right," said Bernie, who, Rosemary realized, usually did most of the talking. "We are very sad of course, but we can't let that get in the way of living."

"That's an interesting view to take," said Rosemary, looking at Amadeus to see if he agreed with her, but he was nodding not to her statement but to Bernie's.

"I agree," he said. "You can't let the dead overly affect the living."

Of course, thought Rosemary. Of course he would think that way.

So Rosemary mostly sat there passively, not really paying attention, wishing that Amadeus would have a bit more sympathy for her situation.

When Jules offered them an alcoholic drink she expected him to say no, seeing as he never drank and indeed thought badly of people who did,but he accepted and did not even give Rosemary an exasperated look when Jules overfilled the glass by mistake like he usually did when something happened he didn't like. She was even more surprised when he actually drank some of it.

Thankfully after a while dinner ended and Rosemary was able to get out of the oppressive room. She went into the bathroom to wash her face and hopefully clear her head a bit.

"Anyone! Anyone! It didn't have to be a no-good slut straight from the gutter. Just as long as she is young, healthy and not a virgin!"  
Rosemary froze.

"Ssh, Bernie, they'll hear you."

"What does it matter, really, Jules, isn't it-"

"Bernie!"

Rosemary tried to leave the bathroom quietly and discreetly, and although the two hedgehogs appeared not to have noticed, she was sure she could feel their eyes on her after her back was turned.

"Amadeus, can we leave now?"

"All right," said Amadeus, and he took her hand and called a farewell to the two hedgehogs in the kitchen. They called the same back merrily,but Rosemary was not convinced. She was angry, and upset, and afraid. After they had returned to their apartment and she had firmly locked the door she told Amadeus what she had heard them saying.

"Hm," said Amadeus. "It does appear that they may have been speaking about you."

"They definitely were!" said Rosemary angrily. "And not only that, but they didn't give a shit about Amy! They wanted to use her for something, I know it!"

"That sounds reasonable, but to what ends?" asked Amadeus.

"I don't know," said Rosemary, suddenly exhausted. "I...I don't want to see them anymore."

"All right."

"And I don't want you seeing them either."

Amadeus hesitated.

"Don't tell me it's not polite! I don't care! They're creepy and they're disturbing and they're-they're-"

"I think you may need to sit down, Rosemary, you seem to be in considerable distress."

"That might be a good idea," she said, and sat down on the arm of the couch. She was still enormously uncomfortable.

"Let's go to bed," said Amadeus. "We'll be better able to solve this problem in the morning, I think."

"That sounds good," said Rosemary.

Again Amadeus fell asleep quickly, but again Rosemary became afraid. She couldn't get over the feeling that the hedgehogs wanted her for something, but she didn't know what.

She hoped she was just being paranoid.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Author's note: We're going to deviate from the plot a bit here...I just can't bear to write Amadeus the way I'm supposed to...

She did her best to keep busy over the next little while, trying even harder to avoid her creepy neighbours, and didn't really see Amadeus except at night, when he would ask how her day was and then go to sleep as soon as he got into bed. This was very unusual behaviour for him to be exhibiting but she had no chance to ask him about it. He was never around when she was awake. It was kind of infuriating as well because he had promised they would try to conceive after they got settled. He had point-blank refused while he was in the army, saying he wasn't going to let her have a baby and then raise it all by herself, but he had agreed to give it a try after his discharge. She was getting kind of frustrated. Here he was, home at last, and yet not home at the same time.  
There was a knock on the door and Rosemary went to answer it. She was sweeping the floor and was really very bored and so decided to forego her 'don't open the door' policy.

It was Amadeus. He looked slightly dazed but entered normally when she backed up to let him in.

"Did you forget your key, honey?"

"My what?"

"Why did you knock instead of unlocking the door?"

He looked puzzled for a moment.

"I...I don't know."

"What have you been doing all this time, Amadeus? I haven't seen you in days."

"I don't remember."

"How can you not remember?"

"I haven't any idea." He sat down on the couch. He looked exhausted.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I'm just so tired all the time, I don't understand. I honestly don't know what I've been doing these past few days. I get up early and I go someplace and then I get home late and go to bed. Other than that I haven't got a clue."

He was holding something in his hand. He didn't seem to realize it was there so Rosemary asked him about it.

"Hm? Oh, I don't know...I guess I just picked it up somewhere."

It was a tie.

"I wish you remembered what was going on, " said Rosemary. "You're acting very strange."

"I'm sorry," said Amadeus, and he looked so upset that she felt a little bad for her accusatory tone.

"It's alright. Will you be staying here today?"

"I think so." He didn't look sure. "I don't think I have any chores or anything to do."

"Hello!"

Rosemary realized too late she had left the door to the apartment open, and now Jules and Bernie were entering uninvited. She tried to think of a way to get them out without offending Amadeus.

Amadeus, however, did not seem to be paying any attention, and was in fact looking like he was half-asleep.

"Oh, you found my tie," said Jules, and he quickly entered the room and snatched it out of Amadeus's hand.

"Oh...I...I don't know where-"

"I must have dropped it when I was bringing up the laundry, dear," said Bernie to Jules.  
"I'm sorry."

"That's okay, Bernie," said Jules. "Our good friend Amadeus found it for us."

"Oh...yes..." said Amadeus, but whether he believed this statement or not was hard to tell.

"I think Amadeus needs to rest, " Rosemary interrupted, finally thinking of how to get them out of the apartment. "He's been getting up early lately and he's lost quite a bit of sleep."

"Oh, sorry to bother you, it's just, your door was open..."

"...because Amadeus just came through it. Now, if you please..." said Rosemary.

"Certainly," said Bernie, and with a strange look on her face led her husband out of the apartment.

"I hate that woman," said Rosemary, closing the door.

"...that's not his," Amadeus said somewhat dreamily.

"What?"

"Hm?"

"What did you just say?"

"Did I say something?"

"Amadeus, you better not be playing games with me, I swear to God..."

Amadeus didn't answer, just sat there looking more confused than before. "I think I do need to go to bed a while," he said. "I'm feeling out of sorts."

"Yes, go do that," said Rosemary. She tried to be patient with his eccentricities, really she did, but sometimes...sometimes...

Amadeus got up and went into the bedroom and Rosemary resumed her sweeping, forgetting that Amadeus had even come back. She didn't notice he was there until she went into the bedroom to get her things for the shower and saw him when she turned the light on. She turned it off quickly, hoping she hadn't woken him, but he didn't even move.

She took her time in the shower, feeling yet again like she had been through a long and arduous day when in fact she hadn't, and when she finally went into the bedroom and saw her husband again, she noticed he was in the exact same position as before.

He was also lying on top of the sheets, instead of under them.

He must have gone to sleep as soon as he got into bed, but she'd be damned if he'd ever slept that deeply before. The last time they'd been together, 6 months ago, he had had trouble sleeping and in fact never slept through the night. Something to do with dreams brought on by the war.

She felt a chill run through her.

Ever since they had come to this apartment, he had slept like this.

She felt a sudden urge to run outside but forced herself to calm down. It was probably nothing. Probably just time catching up with him. That was all.

She lay down next to him but was up half the night just listening to his uncharacteristic deep breathing. When 6 am rolled around she decided enough was enough and got up.

At 11 he was still sleeping.

She decided she had better wake him up and make sure he wasn't in a coma or anything. Why he'd be in a coma, she didn't know, but stranger things had happened.

"Amadeus?"

She went over and shook his shoulder gently. He moaned a little but didn't wake.

"Honey, you need to get up now."

"Mm?"

"You need to get up, sweetie."

"Mm...all right."

He turned onto his back but still remained sleeping.

"Amadeus, please."

"What?" He sounded dazed, as if he hadn't heard her before.

"You need to get up. You've been in bed for too long."

He sighed and sat up, wincing. "God," he said, his eyebrows coming together in puzzlement, "how long was I sleeping for?"

"Since 5 yesterday."

"AM?"

"No."

He became fully awake now, staring at her. "In the evening?"

"Yes."

"Dear God, what's wrong with me?"

"I don't know. Have you been sleeping well lately?"

"I would think so...but now I would think not."

He straightened, his vertebrae cracking as he did so, and he made a face. "Wake me earlier if it happens again," he said.

"Well...I didn't want to bother you..."

He smiled and said, "Always considerate."

"I know you don't usually sleep well..."

"You are a dear," Amadeus told her, patting her on the head, stood up, and stretched, yawning. "What time is it?"

"11."

"Oh my," said Amadeus. "I'm setting an alarm next time, I think."

Rosemary laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "I'll get you up earlier, I promise."

Amadeus nodded and yawned again.

"I'm going to wash up a bit," he said. "Then we can do something, if you like."

"You don't have anything to do today?"

"I don't think I have," he said.

As Amadeus went to shower, Rosemary went into the kitchen and started making lunch. When Amadeus came back she said, "Do you mind if we paint the bedroom today?"

"If you don't mind sleeping in it," said Amadeus, coming up behind her and putting his arms around her waist.

"What are you doing?" she asked. She was making macaroni salad.

"Nothing," he said. "Why?"

He had misunderstood the question again but she decided not to remark on it.

They had the salad and then the both of them left the apartment and went to a hardware store, where Rosemary selected a light blue paint, and together with other necessary painting supplies they went back to the apartment.

They were about halfway through painting the room when Amadeus's phone rang. He was not tremendously good at remembering where he kept it so it took them a few minutes to track it down. By then of course it had stopped ringing and Amadeus had to listen to the message. The longer he held the phone to his ear, the deeper his frown went.

"What is it?"

"I've got the position in the reserves I applied for," he said, putting the phone down as if it was going to walk away when he let it go.

"I thought someone else already had that position," said Rosemary.

"Someone did," said Amadeus. "I've just been told he's gone blind."

He had a distant, faraway sort of look on his face. Rosemary didn't like it.

"What?"

"I'm not sure...I had an idea, but I've lost it now...damn. I have a feeling it was important."

"Hopefully not," said Rosemary.

"Mm," said Amadeus. "We can hope, can't we?"

That was an odd thing for him to say.

"Amadeus…are you all right, honey?"

"What do you mean, my dear?"

"I mean…you've been acting a bit strange lately."

"I'm just tired, Rosemary. Don't worry about it."

The thing was, Rosemary was worried about it.

Amadeus had never been affected by fatigue before. It was part of what made him such a successful soldier.

And now he was telling her his behaviour was based on it?

She decided to keep a closer eye on him.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

"Do you want to try for that baby tonight, Rosemary?"

Rosemary almost spit out the milk she was drinking. Luckily she was standing next to the sink. "WHAT?"

"Um…I'd rather not repeat it…it was kind of awkward for me to say in the first place…"

"I just…never thought I'd hear that from you," said Rosemary. It was a couple of days later and Amadeus's strange behaviour had not abated. He was still sleeping too much and he kept saying the strangest things at the strangest times.

He looked at her oddly.

"I know."

"Well, will you stop saying those…those weird things?" Rosemary said. "I mean…you're not acting like yourself, Amadeus. What's going on?"

"I haven't a clue."

Rosemary made a noise of exasperation and slumped down at the table. "Amadeus…I need you to get a clue pretty soon…you're driving me nuts…"

"My apologies," said Amadeus, and he did look sorry. "I really don't know what's come over me." He wasn't looking too good either, Rosemary thought. He was starting to look kind of limp and listless.

Maybe he was sick…but she didn't think that was it.

"Well…" said Rosemary, who was a bit wary of the question but not wanting to let him get out of it, "if you actually want to try for it..."

"I told you we would a long time ago," said Amadeus.

"You didn't mean it," said Rosemary.

"Yes, I did," said Amadeus.

"I don't think so," said Rosemary.

"Do I usually argue when I'm wrong, Rosemary?"

"You're supposed to. It's the manly thing to do."

"Hmph," said Amadeus, clearly a bit ruffled at being compared to other men, and he stood up from the table where he had been sitting. "I'm going out for a while."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know yet."

Alarms went off in Rosemary's head.

"That's not like you."

"So what," said Amadeus. "I can do what I like. So let me be, Rosemary."

And with that he left.

She just stood there, feeling like he had hit her.

She needed to figure out what was happening with him. She couldn't live like this anymore.

When he got back she told him to sit down on the couch and he did so without comment. She sat down on the table across from him and said, "Amadeus, we need to sort this out. It can't wait."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your strange behaviour, Amadeus."

"Have I been behaving strangely?"

Rosemary wanted to…to…well, she didn't know, but it would be violent, and it would be directed at him. "Where did you go this afternoon."

"I went anywhere?"

"Am I going crazy, Amadeus? You left this apartment this afternoon declaring that you didn't have to tell me where you were going."

"I…I don't remember that."

"I'm going to kill one of us, whichever is easier," said Rosemary, fuming. "I'm going crazy. What in the world is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry," said Amadeus, and he rubbed his face with both hands. "I feel like I'm in a dream most of the time. I don't remember where I've been or what I've done. It's not any better for me, you know."

Rosemary sighed and sat next to him on the couch. He pulled her to him and stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry, my love," he said.

"It's all right," she said. "As long as we both try to figure this out, it'll be okay."

"I try," said Amadeus, "but every time I start to get somewhere I just…disappear, for lack of a better word."

"I love you, Amadeus," Rosemary said, because she was afraid he was slipping away from her and she wanted to give him something to hold on to; a reminder of why they were together.

"And I love you, Rosemary," he said, and she was happy that his voice was normal, not dreamy or confused as it had been so often lately.

There was a knock at the door. Rosemary was quite comfortable snuggling with him after so long, but quite expected him to want to answer it, so she moved away. She was surprised when he whispered urgently, "No! Don't answer it!" and pulled her back to him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, quite," he said, and he was holding her very tightly now.

The door opened.

"Damn," said Amadeus.

"Oh shit," said Rosemary at the same time. "I forgot to lock it again."

It was Bernie.

"Oh don't you two look cosy!" she said cheerily. "And how are you two doing?"

"Fine," said Rosemary shortly. "Can we help you with something?"

"Oh no," said Bernie. "I just came to bring you some chocolate mouse."

"Chocolate what?" asked Rosemary.

"Mouse," said Bernie, and she presented to them little bowls with chocolate mousse in them.

"Oh, chocolate _mousse_," said Rosemary.

"That's what I said," said Bernie. "Chocolate mouse."

Rosemary rolled her eyes and took it into the kitchen. "We'll eat it later," she said, not intending to eat it at all.

"Well…I really wanted to know what you thought of it…"

"We'll tell you later," said Rosemary.

"Amadeus? Help me out here?" said Bernie pleadingly.

Amadeus looked at her with that sort of dazed look and Rosemary felt her heart sink into her stomach. She wasn't getting anything more out of him, that was for sure.

Wordlessly, and without looking at him because she didn't want to see that look on his face, she handed him one of the ramekins and a spoon. He tasted it and then rubbed underneath his nose.

"It's all right," he said.

Bernie was staring at her expectantly. Figuring it would make her go away, Rosemary dipped a spoon into it and tasted it as well. It tasted all right first, but after a few seconds there was a horrible, bitter taste in her mouth that made her want to gag.

"My God!" she exclaimed. "It tastes like chalk!"

"Rosemary!" said Amadeus. "That's not very kind."

"I don't care! She asked for my opinion and she got it!"

Amadeus, having eaten the rest of his mousse, put the spoon and the bowl on the countertop. "My apologies," he said to Bernie. "She's kind of outspoken at times."

Reluctantly she allowed them to have a little conversation about how outspoken she was. At least it gave her a moment to discard the rest of the awful mousse into a napkin, which went into the trash can as soon as she got near it.

Amadeus said goodbye to Bernie and then sat down on the couch.

"Amadeus, did you really have to say that in front of her?"

He didn't say anything.

"Amadeus?"

When he still didn't speak she went over to see what was going on. She had gotten only a few steps however when the room started to blur and she felt like it was spinning around her. She thought she might have called Amadeus but he apparently didn't hear her because when the ground neared he wasn't there to catch her.


End file.
